Heated boots and shoes

ABSTRACT

A SELF-CONTAINED HEAT GENERATING AND RADIATING FOOT WARMER FOR USE IN A SHOE OR BOOT WHICH HAS A RELATIVELY THICK OUTSOLE. AN UPPER ENCLOSED SURFACE OF THE SOLE IS FORMED WITH AN UPWARDLY OPENING CAVITY PROVIDING A RECEIVING POCKET FOR SAID FOOT WARMER. THE FOOT WARMER COMPRISES A CONTAINER WITH A PERFORATED CAP SIMILAR TO A CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND WHICH IS ADAPTED TO CONTAIN ABSORBENT COTTON OR EQUIVALENT FILLER MEDIA SATURATED WITH REGULAR   IGNITIBLE LIGHTER FLUID. THE WARMER IS FITTED INTO AND REMOVABLE FROM THE POCKET. A TRIVET-TYPE GUARD IS LOCATED IN THE POCKET AND HAS CORNER LEGS FITTING INTO THE POCKET AND A PERFORATED PLATE PORTION WHICH OVERLIES THE FOOT WARMER. IT FUNCTIONS TO DISTRIBUTIVELY TRANSFER THE WEIGHT OF THE WEARER&#39;&#39;S FOOT DIRECTLY TO THE BOTTOM OF THE POCKET AND PREVENTS THE FOOT WARMER FROM BEING CRUSHED.

June 22, 1971 J. R. POLICHENA HEATED BOOTS AND SHOES Filed April 24, 1970 INVI'IN'I'UK.

U m' WM and m m .6 h 0 P R U m a J Wuwy 19m United States Patent Office 3,585,736 Patented June 22,, 1971 3,585,736 HEATED BOOTS AND SHOES Jeffery R. Polichena, 5450 Powdermill Road Kent, Ohio 44240 Filed Apr. 24, 1970, Ser. No. 31,572 Int. Cl. A43b 7/02 U.S. Cl. 362.6 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A self-contained heat generating and radiating foot warmer for use in a shoe or boot which has a relatively thick outsole. An upper enclosed surface of the sole is formed with an upwardly opening cavity providing a receiving pocket for said foot warmer. The foot warmer comprises a container with a perforated cap similar to a cigarette lighter and which is adapted to contain absorbent cotton or equivalent filler media saturated with regular ignitible lighter fluid. The warmer is fitted into and removable from the pocket. A trivet-type guard is located in the pocket and has corner legs fitting into the pocket and a perforated plate portion which overlies the foot warmer. It functions to distributively transfer the weight of the wearers foot directly to the bottom of the pocket and prevents the foot warmer from being crushed.

The present invention relates to footwear which is expressly designed and adapted for outdoor use and pertains, more particularly, to that field of endeavor wherein the sole of a boot or shoe is provided with built-in heat generating and radiating means and particularly wherein the means is such in construction that it provides a relatively long lasting source of heat.

Persons conversant with the state of the art to which the present invention relates are aware that self-contained heating units, for example, hand and foot warmers are not new. This is to say, pocket-size hand warmers are generally old and well known. Then, too, heat generating and radiating self-contained units have been devised for incorporation in boots and shoes. Inasmuch as it may be of assistance to the reader in assessing the herein disclosed invention reference can be made to the selfcontained heating unit disclosed in a patent to E. T. Behner, 2,680,918. Behner shows that it is not new to provide a cavity, recess or pocket in the sole of a shoe, preferably forwardly of the shank, for confinement of a bag or similar container charged with a chemical which, when wet, generates heat.

An object of the present invention is to improve upon Pat. 2,680,918 and any other known prior art adaptations and, in so doing, to advance the art and to provide a contribution to the art which, it is submitted, will meet with endorsement by prospective makers and retailers and will answer the needs of boots and shoes having built-in heating and foot comforting means.

Briefly, the concept comprehends an outdoor boot or shoe characterized by a heel and shank-equipped outsole, a complemental upper oriented with and cooperatively mounted atop the outsole and which in turn is provided with an interior insole and wherein the upper portion of the outsole forwardly of the shank has an upwardly opening cavity providing a special purpose pocket. A portion of the insole is arranged to span the mouth of the pocket and is so constructed as to permit access to be had to the pocket. The pocket is provided with a self-contained heat generating and radiating foot Warmer unit. This unit is lodged and cooperatively confined in the pocket. More specifically the foot warmer is similar, generally stated, to a cigarette lighter which is characterized by a container with a removable cap and wherein the container is provided with absorbent cotton and equivalent filler lmedia capable of being saturated with ignitible lighter fluid. In order to protect the pocketed unit it is provided with a guard. More explicitly, the guard comprises a simple four-legged trivet embodying an apertured plate which overlies the unit and which is provided on marginal edges and at its respective corner portions with depending legs which rest on the bottom of the pocket and serve to transfer the weight of the wearer to the sole and to in this manner shield the unit.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, andin which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a thick-soled shoe which is constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention and shows the built-in heat generating and radiating foot warmer and the protective guard which is associated therewith, certain of the parts being shown in section for clearness of illustration.

FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-section through the toe and sole portions of the shoe and showing the foot warmer in elevation and the guard in section.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the foot warmer and guard and how each is constructed for cooperative use.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 the aforementioned footwear is exemplied here in the form of a shoe which comprises an outsole generally designated by the numeral 6 and embodying a heel 8, shank 10 and sole proper 12. A median centralized top portion of the sole is provided with a cavity or recess 114 defining a pocket of suitable shape and size which opens through the top of the sole 12. The upper of the shoe is denoted at 16 and'embodies, as usual, a toe box 18 and counter portion 20. The insole is denoted at 22 and includes a plastic or an equivalent portion 24 which spans the top or mouth of the pocket and which is openable and closable as shown in full and phantom lines to permit access to be had to the pocket.

The self-contained heat generating and radiating foot warmer is denoted by the numeral 26 and comprises a capped container, similar in construction to a conventional type cigarette lighter and which is adapted to contain absorbent filler (not shown) saturated with ignitible lighter fluid. The container is denoted at 28 and the perforated cap is denoted at 30, the same being provided with distributively arranged perforations 32 through which the heat rays are discharged when the wick (not shown) of the warmer has been ignited.

It may be properly reiterated here that the unit 26 is comparable with pocket-size hand warmers which are on the open market and which employ lighter fluid, are economically operable, can be purchased and are long lasting. It may be added however that, generally stated, ordinary marketed hand warmers are perhaps a little too large to 'be incorporated in a boot or shoe of the type herein under consideration and under the circumstances it will be within the purview of the concept to construct a warmer unit of the type shown at 26 and which is of a size to be fittingly confined within the limits of the pocket 14 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. By making the warmer slightly smaller than the perimeter limits of the pocket and of requisite cross-sectional dimensions provision is thus made for the use of a protective guard. This guard is denoted in FIG. 3 by the numeral 34 and it is in the form of a miniaturized trivet. More particularly it comprises a rigid rectangular or equivalent plate 36 of requisite thickness to occupy the position shown in FIG. 1 wherein it is interposed between the insole 24 and the top surface of the unit 26. This plate is amply large that the support members thereon will function in the manner illustrated. This is to say, the marginal edges and corner portions of the underneath side of the plate are provided with stout depending legs (sometimes referred to as feet) and which are denoted at 38. These legs surround the marginal portions of the unit 26 and rest on the bottom of the pocket. The plate is provided with a multiplicity of appropriately spaced orfices or ports 40 to permit the heat to radiate from the pocketed unit and to transfer its warming properties to the insole.

In order to more satisfactorily achieve the end results desired it is advisable and perhaps necessary to provide air intake means for the pocketed heater unit 26. Ordinarily this is accomplished by providing opposite longitudinal edge portions of the sole with suitably elongated air vents 42. The inner ends of the vents communicate with the pocket and the outer ends extend through the outer edge portions 44 and are covered by appropriately constructed mud, water and debris screens as brought out in FIG. 2.

In practice the heating unit 26 is dropped into the pocket after the mouth of the pocket has been opened for that purpose. It is then ignited for slow burning use. The trivettype protector guard 34 is put in place to assume the posi tion shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 after which the flap portion 24 of the insole is allowed to close in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. The unit 26 is slow burning and long lasting and will serve the purposes for which it has been devised and used. Accordingly, a more extended description is believed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. Footwear, an outdoors boot or shoe for example, comprising a heel and shank-equipped outsole, a complemental upper oriented with and cooperatively mounted atop said outsole and provided interiorly with an insole, an upper portion of said outsole forwardly of the shank having an upwardly opening cavity providing a pocket, a portion of said insole spanning the mouth of said pocket and permitting the wearer to have access to said pocket, a self-contained heat generating and radiating foot warmer lodged and cooperatively confined in said pocket, and a trivet-type guard also located in said pocket and interposed between said foot warmer and underneath side of said portion of said insole, said guard functioning to distributively transfer the weight of the wearers foot directly to said outsole and to protect the foot warmer against damaging pressure.

2. The footwear defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said foot warmer comprises a perforated 4 capped container, similar to a conventional-type cigarette lighter and which is adapted to contain absorbent filler media saturated with ignitable lighter fluid.

3. The footwear defined in claim 2, and wherein said foot warmer is proportional in size with the size of said pocket and is bodily insertable and removable, said guard comprising a rigid plate which protectively overlies said Warmer, said plate having its marginal edge and corner portions provided With depending supporting legs.

4. The footwear defined in claim 2, and wherein said foot warmer is proportional in size with the size of said pocket and is bodily insertable and removable, said guard comprising a rigid plate which protectively overlies said warmer, said plate having its marginal edge and corner portions provided with depending supporting legs, said plate being perforated, said legs being rigid and of a length commensurate with the depth of said pocket, whereby to locate said plate above but proximal to the level of the top of said container.

5. The footwear defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said outsole has opposite longitudinal edge portions provided with shielded air inlet vents having inner ends communicating with said pocket and outer ends opening through outward edges of said longitudinal edge portions.

6. For use in an outoors shoe or boot having a relatively thick outsole wherein an upper surface of the sole proper is formed with an upwardly opening cavity providing a special purpose pocket, a self-contained heat generating and radiating foot warmer of a size and shape that it can be placed and confined for use in said pocket, and a trivet-type guard separate from said foot warmer, said guard functioning to distributively transfer the weight of the wearers foot directly to the bottom of said pocket and to prevent said foot warmer from being crushed or damaged.

7. The footwear defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said foot warmer comprises a perforated capped container, similar to a conventional-type cigarette lighter and which is adapted to contain absorbent filler media saturated with i-gnitible lighter fluid.

8. The footwear defined in claim 7, and wherein said foot warmer is proportional in size with the size of said pocket and is bodily insertable and removable, said guard comprising a rigid plate which protectively overlies said warmer, said plate having its marginal edge and corner portions provided with depending supporting legs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 156,117 10/1874 Angresius 362.6 2,680,918 6/1954 Behner 36-2.6

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner 

